MOSCOW, July 15. /TASS/. Moscow calls on all parties to the Persian Gulf conflict to return to the negotiating table, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.

"We call on all parties to abandon confrontational logic and return to the negotiating table. It is necessary to recognize the unviability of an approach that is framed as 'escalation in response to escalation,' which entails serious damage to the civilian populations of all involved states, their economies, the uninterrupted functioning of strategic waterways, and, as a result, the undermining of the peaceful economy," she noted.

Undermining the Efforts of Mediators

Zakharova emphasized that Moscow is "extremely concerned" about the resumption of hostilities in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as the unpredictable course of events "threatens the prospects for a peaceful resolution to the conflict."

"It is particularly regrettable that the renewed confrontation occurred at a time when, after the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum, prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict were opening up," she continued. Zakharova also added that the aforementioned negotiation process was the result of "the energetic work of Pakistani and Arab mediators, who were truly committed to achieving results."

"Their efforts cannot be allowed to be thwarted," Zakharova noted. "The negative developments in the Persian Gulf undermine the priority for the Middle East: resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. There is a real threat of an expansion of the regional crisis area - on land, in the sea, in the air - with extremely negative geopolitical consequences."

Russian Initiative

Zakharova stressed that the alarming developments in the situation, which are affecting all countries in the region, further demonstrate "the futility of forceful methods and the absence of a reasonable alternative to a political settlement, in which the Middle East countries, particularly the Gulf Arab states and Iran, must play a decisive role. "They retain the decisive say in creating a reliable and inclusive security architecture in this region," she explained, emphasizing that external actors should not fuel conflicts between regional actors, but rather encourage their "movement toward peace."

"This is precisely what Russia is doing, maintaining friendly relations with all of the aforementioned countries and being open to working with any constructive partners to achieve sustainable stability. We reiterate that our concept for collective security in the Persian Gulf, updated in May, is aimed at addressing this priority task. We call for an immediate end to the exchange of attacks and a resumption of dialogue to find paths to lasting peace in the region. We intend to promptly facilitate this in our contacts with all parties involved," Zakharova concluded.